The 74th Hunger Games
by DauntleesShadowhunter4
Summary: In the reaping day in District 12, Primrose Everdeen was reaped to the 74th Hunger Games. But what will happen when, instead of her sister volunteering, Gale does, promessing to Katniss that he will protect her? No romance (I Just felt like I needed to say that)


_**Hello dear readers. This is an old story of mine that I posted a while back and I decided to give it some fresh start and a new chance.**_

 _ **I want to thank my Tree for her support and comments and I have to say, I do'nt own The Hunger Games.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

"It's ok" I mumble to myself as I stand in the line with the other 12-year-old that are waiting for the reaping. The sun is high in the sky and I can feel the top of my head getting warmer and warmer. The air is damp and it smells of sweat mixed with soap. All around me, girls, dressed with their best clothes, seem to be as nervous as I am. Some bit their bottom lips so hard that I can see bright red drops of blood in their lips. Some have been twirling their hair in their fingers for the past half an hour. A girl two spaces down my left already bit all the nails of her fingers and now is just biting the tip of her thumb absently. Many girls were crying softly, the track of tears dried by the sun and marked on their cheeks. One or another cries a little louder but no one minds. We all know how they are feeling.

"I'm not going to be reaped." I repeat to myself again, in a whisper. "My name was only in there once. Katniss said so herself." I tug my shirt in and stand as still as I possibly can. My arms are trapped beside my body and the only movement I make is the soft rising and falling of my chest when I breath. I like to imagine that, if I didn't move at all and try to muffle all the noise from the outside, I could pretend that I'm not here at all, until after the reaping finishes, but I find that it's harder to do that now that I'm in the pool.  
Effie, the District 12 escort, with her crazy colorful clothes and hair and her Capitol accent, puts her hand into the reaping bowl saying "As usual, ladies first" with a huge smile, like this was the best thing she could ever imagine doing, even though she does it every year and every year, the tributes die in a horrible way. Her long nails scrape the pieces of paper softly, and every single person in the crowd draws a breath. The air becomes suddenly dry and tense. Every eye is laying on the piece of yellowish paper. She pulls it, opening and bringing it to her eye level and smiles before she announces the girl's name. It can't be me. It won't be me. The crowd is still holding their breaths, praying that some other girl is called instead of their loved ones. It is terrible wishing that someone else is sent to death, but I catch myself wishing that same thing. "Please don't be me or Katniss, please" I pray silent in my mind.

"Primrose Everdeen!" She calls. At first I can't register the name she calls, but I know that it sounds familiar. It's only after she calls it for the second time and I hear a scream that I understand that it's my name.

I can't think straight and everything looks blurry in front of me. I can't move. I'm in shock. Everything seems to be moving slowly. I can't go to the arena. I'm going to die.

Effie seems ready to call my name for a third time when I finally force my legs to move, step by step, tugging my shirt into my skirt, like Katniss told me to do. Two peacekeepers move out of their formation and stand behind me as I move. Effie offers me a gentle smile, calling me up to the stage. The people around me, people I know from school, from walking around, or even some I don't know, look at me. Everyone is looking at me. I see more pitiful glances, and guilty relief on their eyes. I understand. I would look like that if another person had been reaped.

"Prim!" I hear Katniss scream. I turn around, and she's struggling with two peacekeepers that are holding her back. Her face is red from screaming and her braid is falling apart. The two ones that walk behind me urge me to move. "PRIM!" She shouts again, desperation flooding in her voice. She seems like she's going to say something, but before she can, or before the peacekeepers can drag her away, Gale runs from the boys line, and grabs her, covering her mouth with his hand, pulling her away and blending back with the rest of the crowd. She tries to struggle, but it's of no use. Gale's is much stronger than she is.

"Come, come, miss Everdeen." Effie calls, with her joyful usual voice. "There you go." I have no idea how I got up the stage. The blur around me continues and all I can see are the shinny colors of Effie's clothes as she says something about me to the crowd. There are tears running down my cheek, but I'm too scared to try to hold them off. I don't care if the entire Panem see it. I clasp my hands together to keep them from shaking more than they already are. My eyes keep drifting from Katniss, who's still being held by Gale, to my mom, who's openly crying. Effie makes me jump back a bit when she places her arm around my shoulder.

"Now for the boys." She says, moving to the boys bowl. Behind me, I see Haymitch, the lone winner of District twelve, shake his head with disappointment, though he seems too drunk to truly understand what is going on. I turn my head in time to see Effie call Peeta Mellark, the son of the baker. I've met him once or twice before, exchanged a few words. He looks terrified when he walks ahead, but keeps his head high and he walks, not letting the terror show in his steps. When he's close to the stage, someone calls out.

"I volunteer as a tribute!" I'm too shocked for words when I see that Gale was the one that called. He's Katniss best friend, and they are together all the time. He's been around since I can remember. If it weren't for him and Katniss, I'm not sure what would have become of me some time ago. I didn't ever knew that Gale and Peeta knew each other. I glance at Katniss, and she looks as shocked as I do. Peeta also looked like he has no idea of what's going on, his eyes running from Gale to Effie as he expected someone to tell him what to do. She, on the other hand, looks like this is the best day of her entire life.

"Oh my! A volunteer! District 12's first volunteer!" She calls, in pure glee, motioning for him to come up. I can't tell what he's feeling. He just stares ahead, his shoulders straight and his head high. "What's your name, my dear?"

"Gale Hawthorne." He says coldly, looking ahead without meeting anyone's eyes. He looked half sure and half shocked.

"And did you volunteer for Peeta?" Effie asks, happily, enjoying every moment.

"No." Gale mumbles, and turned to look at me for the first time. "I volunteered for her."

Effie waits for him to say something more, to explain his previous statements but it seems he's done with words. After a minute of uncomfortable silence, she asks for applauses for the "brave tributes of District 12". The crowd, instead, lift their finger in the old district twelve sign that means grief.

I can hear Katniss before she even comes to the room where I am in the Justice Building. I hear doors slamming and she's screaming at Gale, who's on the next room. I can't understand what's she's saying, and I can't hear his reply, but she sounds angry. As the shouting continues, my mother comes to see me. She cries and hugs me. She looks desperate and I don't even know what to say. It doesn't even seems real.

My mother leaves me with a kiss on my forehead and a squeeze of my hand. A few moment later, Katniss storms in. I'm sitting in a corner, crying. I can't stop crying no meter how much I try. It all seems so surreal and I keep wishing that, maybe if I close my eyes, it will go away, like the bad dream I had last night. Her face softened the moment she sees me.

"Oh Prim..." She mumbles, and I can see that she's very close to tears. Her eyes look puffy and her voice is rough from all the screaming but it's still Katniss. Strong and real and solid Katniss. I run to where she's standing and I lung into her waiting arms for protection. She presses her face to the top of my head, breathing hard, and I hide my face in her shoulder. I can tell that she's trying her hardest not to cry for my sake and I'm thankful for that, because if she started I don't know if I would ever be able to stop. "I'm sorry Prim. I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay." I sniff, even if it's not okay. I'm so scared my mind is barely working. It's okay is the first answer it can make up and I don't want Katniss to think I'm weak. Not after all she's done for me. I'm about go to a place where I will most certainly die, and never see my sister, my mother, my friends and my home again, but I don't want Katniss to cry, or it will only make it all worst. I want her to believe that I'm going to be fine. "It's not your fault."

"I was going to volunteer for you." She tells me in a soft whisper, her hot forehead pressed against mine, next to the spot where my mother kissed me. I don't know how to react. She would go to the arena for me. Of course she would. Katniss is so strong, so brave. She would give her life for mine in a blink of the eye. I feel the tears become stronger in the back of my eyes but before I can reply, she continues. "Gale didn't let me. He held me back, that scumbag... Prim. You can't die." She grabs both of my hands tight around hers. Her hands are warm against the cold sweat that is pooled in my palms. "Gale promised me he would protect you in the arena. I need you to promise me you will try your hardest to get out of there alive. Please Prim, just promise that you'll try."

"Katniss, you can't ask Gale to do that... To die for me!" I say, taking a step back, shocked. "It's wrong. You can't..."

"I didn't ask him." She says, dropping her eyes to the floor, shame showing in her gaze that was avoiding mine. "He had already made up his mind when I got to talk to him." She stares at me, begging with her eyes. "Please Prim, promise me you will not give up before it's even begun. You can't die in that arena Prim. I need you to live, for me."

"I don't stand a chance, Katniss!" I reply, angry at her for believing that I am strong enough to win. Angry at her for creating an illusion that I would last past the cornucopia blood bath. Or maybe I'm not even really angry at her. Maybe I am angry at myself for not being strong enough. Angry at Effie's stupid long nails. Angry at the damn odds, that obviously were not in my favor. Against my will, tears keep sliding down my cheeks. "Gale's chances to win are much bigger than mine. He has actual chances of surviving it. Don't you see that?!"

"Just promise me you will try?" She begs, her eyes pleading. I sigh. Maybe it'll only break her heart to see me dying, even if I tried, but I have to do this for Katniss. She took care of me since I can remember. I have to try to live for her. I nod slowly and relief fills her eyes.

"Will you stay with me until it's time to go to the train?" I ask. "I don't want to see anyone else." She nods, pulling me to her once more, for a tight hug, to the safety of her arms, linked behind my back like she would never let go of me again. I'm so thankful to her. The next couple of minutes, Katniss combs my hair with her fingers and sings the Meadow song, like she did this morning when I woke up from a nightmare. I can't help but cry. Katniss is trying to hide it, but she's crying too. I know it by the motion of her hands and the way she sings some words of the song. I can feel her wet fingers as she brushed them past my ear. There are so many things that I need to tell her, but nothing comes to my mind, so I just sit there and listen to the song as the warm tears run down my cheek.

The time to leave to the train comes too fast and I grip tight to Katniss hand. The fear, that had momentarily hid in a dark corner of my mind rushes back and I can't go! I didn't have enough time to say goodbye. I need to thank Katniss for everything she's done for me. This might be the last time I see her, I need more time! It's not enough to! I need more! It will never be enough!

"Can you take care of Buttercup for me?" I ask the first thing that comes to my mind as the peacekeeper rushes me outside. She nods with a sad smile. I hug her one last time. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." She mumbles, kissing my forehead. "Now tug you tale in, little duck. Remember your promise. I will see you again."

She waves sadly as Effie escorts me and Gale into the car that will take us to the train station. Effie talks excitedly about the train and the Capitol during the whole car ride. I watch the streets of the District where I grew up. I realise that this might be the last time I see them and it feels like a hot rock was set on my stomach.

"The train travels so fast and you don't even notice." She says, I don't really know who she's talking to, because neither me or Gale are paying her any attention. "And the food is great! You can eat whatever you want. Oh and the Capitol! You never seen anything like it! You'll love it, I know it! It's so gorgeous. All the colors and the lights..."

The chattering continues until we arrive at the train station. We are escorted to the silver train by a group of peacekeepers dressed in their usual white clothes. I'm not sure who are they protecting us from. No one would be crazy to attack a tribute on reaping day. Maybe they are protecting us from ourself. Probably many tributes have felt desperate enough to try something crazy.

The inside of the train, is the most luxurious place I've ever stepped a foot on. Just the carpet on the floor probably costs more than my entire house. Gale's jaw tightens as he looks around and his expression get's somber. It somewhat looks like he he's angry at the train itself.

"Haymitch will be here in a few" Effie seems to expect at least one of us to answer her, but neither me nor Gale say a word. We exchange a glance after we stop hearing the clicking of her shoes and I allow my body to drop in the nearest chair. It is the most comfortable thing I have ever felt. The chair is a bright color of red and it's material is smooth as I run my hands softly through the fabric in an attempt to distract my mind, But it doesn't work very well. I'm not paying attention to this right now. I'm paying attention to the cool feel of my hands, that are still shaking badly. Even with the heat outside, the tip of my fingers are numb and freezy. I close them in a fist in an attempt to warm them, and hold my fist tight against my legs. Gale stands in the same place he was when Effie left the compartment, hanging close to the metal wall, his hands also curled into fists, but I think his reasons are different than mine. We remain silent for a minute, while I gather the guts to ask him the question that is stuck on my lips.

"Why did you volunteer, Gale?" he stares at me like he just remembered I was sitting there, and for a moment, I believe he won't answer, but after a moment of silence flies by he sighs, sitting in the chair across from me.

"I don't really know." He whispers, like he was speaking more to himself than to me. "I guess I did it for Katniss."

"But Katniss was not reaped for the games." I reply dumbly, my brain not being able to process his answer in the right way.

"But you were. And you are the most important thing in her life." He says matter-of-factly."I knew that she was going to volunteer the moment you were reaped, and I.. I don't know, the moment I realized what I did… WHat I didn't let her do… I think I felt in debt with her. I couldn't stand and let you die like that. So I volunteered" He sighs and runs his hands through his face and leans his elbows against his legs, frustrated.

I don't know what to do and I don't want to make him more troubled about what he did and I don't have anything to say that isn't a lie, so I touch his arm with the tip of my cold fingers in a comforting way. He looks surprised at my gesture for a moment, and I think he's going to draw back, but he just places his hand over mine. It strucks me for a moment how tiny my hands look compared to him. But his fingers are warm and I realise that this is the comfort both of us needed right now.

 _ **Well? Please reveiw and tell me what you think!**_


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